As predicted this morning, this game was a bit of a scrap.

Arsenal home debutant, Sylvian Wiltord will probably take the headlines for his well worked goal and near perfect Ian Wright impression, but it was Pires who was the outstanding man of the match. He tricked Coventry and treated us to a maginificent midfield display and seemed to pop up everywhere.Certainly, he amply demonstrated Wenger's assessment,in midweek,that Silvinho's new found goalscoring talents were largely due to being able to push further forward in the knowledge that Pires would cover. Overmars would rarely afford the Brazilian that luxury.

As is mostly the case at the moment, Arsenal created good chances almost at will, but Coventry, to their credit always seemed to get the last body in the way. Bergkamp had a couple of chances and was clearly frustrated at his inability to convert, but he worked hard throughout to put that right. Keep plugging away, maestro, it'll come.

Either side of half-time, Wiltord and young Vernazza gave the Gunners what seemed like a decisive lead, but an unneccesary foul on the edge of the box by Adams, who struggled throughout, gave the talented Hadji the chance to chip beautifully to Seaman's left.

The home side then treated us to a ten minute rendition of the Marx Brothers on speed. Hall's last second wallop against the bar would have earned an undeserved draw, but, at the same time, seemed a tad unlucky.

The biggest cheer of the game was for Ian Wright (the real one) doing a royal wave from a corperate box and for Paddy Vieira who sat alongside him. Neither missed much by not playing.

One final word for the Referee who seemed determined to keep the game flowing (if that's the word) at any cost. Well done! It could have been so much worse.